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by waterlinkedgirl



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Lots of Tea, M/M, also lots of foreshadowing flowers, seriously they're like almost british it's that much tea, though the Druid/Samhain lore is from Great Britain... ish, will take a darker turn near the middle so look forward to that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-27 22:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12592224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterlinkedgirl/pseuds/waterlinkedgirl
Summary: Thrown from heaven, the fallen Angel Yukimura bitterly wandered the Earth, until he met a certain potioner...Bit by bit, things start to change, and carefully crafted masks start to crumble.





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**Author's Note:**

> My part for the Tenipuri Halloween zine 2017! Check the full thing out here:  
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3wJcvmeHvnDNi1uOVQ4MFhMODQ/view?usp=sharing

"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"  
Yukimura snapped his head around, nearly dropping his water, looking at the source of the remark.

His gaze calmed when he saw the eyes of the man who made it.  
"Did I interrupt your thoughts?" he asked.

"I guess," Yukimura said. "Do you have any business here, talking to random strangers in taverns?"

"Is it not acceptable for a man to show interest in someone else these days?"

...So that's what the earlier remark was. Yukimura sighed.

"Sorry to say I'm not interested."  
Admittedly, the man was kind of cute, but Yukimura wasn't the type to go along with blatant, hedonistic flirting.

"Then, if you're not interested in me, can I interest you in something else?"  
"...What."

Out from his jacket, he pulled one vial, two vials, and in a matter of seconds, the table Yukimura was sitting at looked more like a vending stand than anything else.

A potioner, Yukimura realized.

"Is business that bad for you, that you have to flirt with customers just to appeal to them?"  
"No, this is just a side business. I'm a pretty successful pharmacist, actually, with a side business in potions. You won't find these anywhere else, you know?"

At least half of the potions had an unusual colour, from red to black to gold, and some of them had traces of magic in them.  
Yukimura decided he was interested enough to humour him.

"Sure, I'll listen."

A smile made its way to the man's lips.  
"Then, I'll give you my three recommendations.  
This one..." he pointed at a small blue potion, "...can greatly enhance your voice. Clarity, power, but also endurance."

Yukimura sensed the magical signature of voxmarisweed, a herb that allows you to briefly breathe underwater, so the potion had some believable basis. Whether the man actually knew what it did or unconsciously put it in was up for debate. But...

"Why would you recommend this one to me?"

"Your eyes radiate power, but your voice sounds kind of faint. Which is a shame, because it's beautiful and I'd like to hear more of it."

No chance wasted on another attempt at flirting, huh.

"Is this going to turn into a flirting session?"  
"I'm not speaking anything but truth, mister."  
"Call me Yukimura. Your name?"  
"Shiraishi Kuranosuke. Nice to meet you. Ah, where was I...?"  
"Second recommendation."  
"Of course! This one here..." Shiraishi picked up a somewhat larger bottle with a green gradient, "is a somewhat rarer potion. It won't have an immediate effect, but it'll catch you if you fall sick and speed up recovery of your wounds."

"That's... pretty powerful."  
"Isn't it? However, its effectiveness varies from person to person, and on the amount you're willing to ingest. Too much of it will become a poison."

A powerful potion with appropriate drawbacks. However, aside from a trace of the Feducia flower, there was no magical signature at all.

"You were staring off in the distance," Shiraishi said, "and you looked kind of sad. I know this is none of my business, but, while it won't heal wounds of the heart..."

A gesture of kindness? He didn't need the pity, but he had to acknowledge the thought behind Shiraishi's recommendation.

"Thanks, but I'm not quite willing to take the chance of getting poisoned."

"I understand. Will you listen to my last recommendation?"  
"I'm all ears."  
"The last potion I'd recommend you is this one," Shiraishi tapped on the cap of a purple vial. "It's not quite a classical love potion, as it only enhances feelings that are already there. Surely someone as beautiful as you would have somebody to love?"

Flirting, though under the assumption Yukimura had somebody and wasn't interested. Yukimura didn't know what to make of this. Either Shiraishi was unashamed enough to flirt with a taken man, or his flirting was just a strange business policy. Or maybe it was something different altogether.

"I don't," Yukimura confessed.

This took Shiraishi by surprise.  
"You don't?"

"I don't, and I'm not planning to get one, either."

Yukimura's eye fell on a small vial filled with a gold-coloured liquid. Out of all potions Shiraishi had with him, this one was the most magically potent.  
Unconsciously, Yukimura reached out toward it, touched the vial with the tips of his fingers.  
It was warm to the touch.

"Do you want me to tell about this one?" Shiraishi asked.

Yukimura took the vial in his hand, watched as the liquid shook in its container.

"Please do."

"I put this one apart from the rest, as it doesn't have any effect when drinking. I was experimenting with a few ingredients, and there was this intense flash of light. I thought, 'This must have some meaning, for sure!'  
However, other than being warm to the touch, as you must've felt, and having a pleasant smell, it doesn't do much.  
But..."

"'There's no way that light couldn't have meaning', huh... That's why you kept it."  
"Exactly."

The gold almost seemed to glow in Yukimura's hand. Carefully, he took the cap off, and indeed, a fleeting scent made its way to Yukimura's nose. It was strangely nostalgic, and although Yukimura couldn't place it, it was comforting.

"Do you want to have it?"  
"How much will it be?"  
"Six Argenti usually. But I'll give this one to you for free, because you seem to have taken a liking to it."  
"Then I'm betting that no matter which of the potions I'd have chosen, they'd have been free."

"Am I that transparent?"  
Shiraishi laughed.

Yukimura smiled. Something in Shiraishi's laugh was strangely contagious, even though Yukimura had all reason not to go along. "Definitely."

Shiraishi sighed.  
"Finally I got you to smile."

"Smile?"  
"Yeah. Ah, is it this late already? I have to go... Anyway, I’d hoped to brighten your day, even if only for the tiniest bit."

This Yukimura did not quite understand.  
"...Why?"

"If you see a stranger with eyes as sad and distant as yours, wouldn't you want to help them as well?"

Yukimura was taken aback. He never had. He never had, despite it being as easy as simply striking a conversation, as easy as a silly vendor's talk.

He bit his lip, fang piercing his skin. Maybe this was one of the reasons he was kicked out.

Shiraishi's smile turned somewhat wistful.  
"Next time you come across a person in need of help, will you remember me?"

As quickly as he had stalled his potions out, Shiraishi put them back into designated pockets of his jacket, the pocket near his chest remaining empty.

"...I'll keep you in mind. Thank you."

"Then, I'll be off," Shiraishi said, and added: "I really hope to see you again, Yukimura. Though you're going to have to pay for the next potion."  
Shiraishi winked, waved, and went.

After Yukimura realized what he himself had said, he brought the palm of his hand to his head. Get yourself together, Seiichi! You're an Angel! And Angels have no use for or business with getting swayed by humans.

Yukimura sighed, let his tongue go over his now bleeding lip.

Not even when fallen.

________________________________________

 

Several years had passed since Yukimura was cast out from Heaven, but only since a few months ago, since he had met Shiraishi, he felt like he was making a change from desperately missing home and barely interacting with humans.

It started as an attempt to right his wrongs, to erase some of his faults.  
He would hold open doors for the elderly, pass playing children their balls back, smile at people down the street.  
Yukimura wouldn't stay long at one place, but he made sure to be a little more friendly to the people of the villages he visited.

Right now, Yukimura found himself standing at the edge of a lake, watching his own reflection.  
Far away, on the horizon, the sun was showing its first signs of rising.  
Yukimura knelt down and touched the water, creating small ripples on the surface.  
This is who he was now.

A breeze blurred his reflection, and Yukimura's wings shivered.

Nights were still cold, but the warmth of Shiraishi's potion provided some comfort. It was enough to distract Yukimura from the growing pain in his chest.

Within no time, Yukimura had found himself doing small errands for people. They didn't earn him a lot of money, but Yukimura found that a single smile was much more valuable to him.

And, Yukimura slowly began to accept humans. His heart was still filled with loathing, but Yukimura learned they were just people like him, that they shouldn't be blamed for the wrongs of his God.  
Still, it hurt.

And Ryoma was still on his tail.  
Yukimura was lucky that Ryoma kept faithful to his monster hunter code, that he didn't involve innocent humans.  
If there had been 'wanted' posters distributed across the country, Yukimura wouldn't have known what to do.  
Though...

Yukimura looked at his navy blue hair.

...Though he wondered if he could be recognised through images from before he fell.

Yukimura let out a sigh and spread his turquoise wings, taking off over the forest, to the gold of the rising sun.

Lately, Shiraishi's potion had been dimming in colour.  
Yukimura took the necklace with the potion out from his clothes.  
It was still somewhat warm between his fingers, but instead of the shining gold it once possessed, it was more of a yellowish silver.

In his travels since that day, Yukimura hadn't met Shiraishi even once.

He cupped his hands and brought the vial to his lips, relishing in its faint warmth.  
Remnants of its soothing smell made their way into Yukimura's nose, and—

Wait. Yukimura moved the vial away from his face.

The cap was still on.

Yukimura halted his flight. Surely he wasn't going mad?  
He looked around the forest, in the hope of seeing something. He was about to dismiss the earlier smell as his imagination, when a golden smoke from a gap in the trees caught his attention.  
It wasn't the sunrise, no, as the clouds in the sky were white now.  
It was quite a few kilometres off the nearest road, but it wouldn't be odd if someone lived there.  
Though, the gold colour of the smoke was something different altogether.

And...  
The scent of Shiraishi's potion was drifting liberally in the air.

Yukimura decided he was curious enough to pay a visit. In the worst case, he could say he was lost in the woods.

He descended into the foliage, accidentally scaring a flock of birds away, and set his feet onto the ground. He made his wings disappear, changing into a shape more fit to be under humans.

Yukimura walked towards the door over a small beaten-down path, brushed a vine aside and was about to knock on the door when it opened by itself.  
"That's why I said, Kin-chan, don't chase the bi—  
Ah..."

Yukimura's eyes met with Shiraishi's, and a stunned silence fell between the two.

"Hey..." Yukimura softly said.  
This snapped Shiraishi out of his stunned state.

"Hey! Didn't expect to see you here, Yukimura."  
"You remembered my name?"

Shiraishi laughed. "Somehow? The potion you got from me was kind of special, after all. What brings you all the way out here?"

"I was walking around and saw this gold smoke, so I got curious. To think it was you..."  
Yukimura realized his excuse was rather shallow, but it was the truth, at least. He hoped Shiraishi would buy it.

"Ah, actually, I was trying to improve your potion so it actually does something..." Shiraishi put his hand to the back of his head, "...but something seemed to have gone wrong, and as a result, the potion just evaporated in thin air..."

Yukimura chuckled. "That explains a lot."

Shiraishi smiled. "Will you come in? It wouldn't feel right to leave you outside like this. Ah, don't worry about the smell, it's gone with the wind."

"Of course."

Yukimura found Shiraishi's house to be neater than he had initially thought.  
Books were neatly ordered in shelves, on the desk were a fountain pen and a few sheets of paper, and the green couch looked comfortable.

"Now that you're here, would you fancy a cup of tea?"  
"Ah, sure."

Within a few minutes, both Yukimura and Shiraishi had a nice warm cup of tea in front of them, opposite sides of a small table.  
"Don't worry, I didn't put anything weird in."

"Ensuring people you didn't do anything weird with their tea usually raises suspicion instead of lowering it, you know?"

"It's an occupational hazard."  
Shiraishi laughed.

Yukimura brought the amber-coloured tea closer to his face, when the smell caught his attention.  
"Is this Hestiaflower tea? I'm surprised you managed to find it in the off-season."

"I'm surprised you know the flower! I thought, it's becoming Fall, so why not go for a warmer kind of tea, and this flower is perfect for giving teas just a bit more hospitality.  
Also, the Hestiaflower might bloom only in late Fall, but if you dry its leaves and conserve it properly, it will last all year round.  
Are you familiar with herbs like this?"  
"Well, I've learnt a few."

An understatement, if there ever was one. Yukimura had spent a fair amount of decades in Heaven studying the plants and flowers of the Earth, magical or not. 

Yukimura took a modest sip from the tea.  
It was warm on the tongue, a well-balanced blend of late-year berries, various herbs of soft flavour and a small pinch of cinnamon, all bound together by the subtle taste of the Hestiaflower.

"It's good," Yukimura whispered. "As expected of a potioner."

"Being good at brewing potions doesn't necessarily relate to brewing good tea, though," Shiraishi said. "Aside from a different way of preparing, the fundamental functions are different. While medicine and potions are supposed to heal the body, tea is supposed to heal the soul."

"Hmm... So you're saying you have to brew potions with your brain, and tea with your heart?"  
"That, and a lot of practice."

Yukimura laughed.

"Ah," Shiraishi said, "while we're still on the subject of potions, do you still have the potion from when we met?"  
"I do, but..."

Yukimura took the necklace with the vial off, and put the discoloured potion on the table.

"Oh, how curious?"  
Shiraishi took the vial in his hand, watched as the greyish liquid shook in its container.  
"When did this happen?"

"Over time. You must probably have noticed it's less warm as well.  
Actually, could you do me a favour?"  
"What's it?"  
"I'd like to buy a new one, however, I'm afraid I don't have the necessary money to do so. Is there anything you need help with?"

"Actually, I do! You see, one of the children of the nearby village has recently fallen sick, and I'm a few ingredients short...  
I have a medicine to make her hold out for longer, but if she isn't cured in time...  
You seem to be pretty well-versed on the area of flowers.  
If I give you a list, would you be able to find the necessary items for me?"

Well, that's convenient.  
"Of course. Though, depending on the rarity, it will take me a bit longer."

"That's fine, I think you'll be able to find most herbs easily enough. Perhaps the Pata de Coello will be a bit more difficult to find, but I'll give you the location of a place where I've had plenty of luck finding it.  
Just give me a second, I'll have the list ready in a moment."

Shiraishi walked over to the desk, took out the fountain pen and quickly started to write the ingredients down.  
Yukimura softly walked over to him, looking over his shoulder at his writework.  
With practised efficiency, Shiraishi wrote down the names of the herbs in question and what he needed from them, adding details like scent, size and petal count for easily confused herbs, and at the final point, he added a series of numbers and letters.

"Somehow, I'm getting really nervous when you look at my writing like that," Shiraishi said, not stopping his writing for even a single second. "It makes me feel like I'm being examined."

"Ah, I'm sorry," Yukimura said, taking a step back. "You look really elegant when you're writing, so I couldn't help but watch."  
"It's alright, it's alright. Actually, this is the first time someone ever said that to me, so thank you."

Shiraishi made his last few strokes and put his pen down.

"If there's any herb you don't know—"  
"Don't worry, I know all of them."

Shiraishi handed him the list, and Yukimura briefly skimmed through it.  
He could get this done in a few days.

"I don't have the gold potion ready for you immediately, but I'll give it to you when you get back. I'll let you borrow my satchel when you go, but be sure to return it safely.  
Meanwhile, shall we finish our tea before it becomes cold?"

"Of course."

Taking their respective seats again, they talked about small things, from the weather to plants, which ended up in Shirashi telling him all about the children and people of the nearby village.  
How he had been there when Sasuke set his first steps, how Setsuna used to make flower crowns for him until she got older, and how the elderly couple near the river bank brought him a small basket of bread each week.

Eventually, their tea got cold, and the sun hung low in the skies.

"I'll have to see you off now, otherwise you won't find shelter before the sun sets. It was nice talking to you, Yukimura."  
"No, it was all my pleasure."

Shiraishi found the satchel, put the list, some vials and sachets, and a few other things in, and handed it to Yukimura.

"I put a small surprise in, but don't look at it yet."

Yukimura looked at the leather satchel.  
"Why are you trusting me with all this?"

"Why, I wonder? I guess I just don't think you're a bad person, and I trust my gut telling me you'll come back. And, if push comes to shove and you turn out to be a thief after all, I can always depend on Zaizen's wings to get my satchel back."

"Zaizen's... wings?"  
"H-His birds, of course. What did you think?"

What did he think? The chance Shiraishi's friend has actual wings on his back was extremely low, especially considering the fact that Shiraishi was a normal human, judging by his lack of both magical signature and raw magic.

"Nothing."  
Yukimura hung the satchel over his shoulder and headed for the door.  
"Thanks for having me."

"Ah, wait!"  
Shiraishi put his hand on Yukimura's shoulder, and Yukimura's gaze locked with Shiraishi's.

"...What is it?"  
"A-ah..."

Shiraishi let out a breath, closed his eyes briefly, then gave him a gentle smile.

"Have a safe trip."

Yukimura couldn't help but smile back.  
"Thank you.  
Well then, I'll be off. See you soon."

"See you soon."

Yukimura turned around and left Shiraishi's house. He walked for a bit, judged whether he was far enough to be out of sight, then changed back and spread his wings.  
Flying was just so much more convenient when you're finally out on an errand.

________________________________________

 

The first half of the ingredients was pretty easy to find. It barely took him half a day by wing. Luckily, even for the rarer ones he knew which herbs would grow where, so he didn't have to look long.

The Pata de Coello was another matter, however.

Yukimura stared once more at the list of letters and numbers. Coordinates? No, there would have been a greater variation in letters, and Shiraishi'd probably have provided a compass of sorts.

"OL 2R 4L L 3R..." 

Yukimura spent a good hour staring at the paper and being puzzled, before he realized they were directions.  
He pinched the bridge of his nose.  
Sure, he could blame himself for thinking too hard about it, but Shiraishi was at fault for not being more clear.

Following that line of logic, OL would be the origin, probably the nearest road to Shiraishi's house, and then left.  
...He'd have to walk, otherwise he wouldn't be able to follow the way through the forest.

Yukimura sighed.

And thus, he walked.  
He walked past trees, colouring their leaves, past small bustling rivers and over curious little roads.

Eventually he found himself at a t-intersection. Which wouldn't be as big of a problem, if Shiraishi's directions didn't tell him he was to take the next right turn, instead of this one.  
Did Shiraishi make a mistake? No, but that guy seems too organised...

And Yukimura kept carefully counting each exit. There was no way he missed one.

...Surely Shiraishi couldn't mean to have him go straight here?  
Now that he looked at it, there was a small animal trail at the intersection.

If he didn't want to believe in either party making a mistake, he would have to go straight here.  
He took a step forward, and another step, pushed a twig away and followed the path laid out for him by Shiraishi.

After his hair being messed up by the greens and several moments of being thankful for being able to take a human form, Yukimura found himself in a shallow wetland, overhanging trees covering it in moonlit shade and illuminated by small, floating wisps, dancing around between water and reeds, dartling around a small ruin of Ancient times.

This was his destination.

From a white fenflower one of the wisps rose to greet him. He gently caught the warm being in his hand, where it lingered for a while, before passing through it and minding its own business again.

Yukimura walked over to the small ruin, deciding it was time for a break.  
Speaking of which, he hadn't looked at the present Shiraishi gave him.

He took place on the stone bench in the middle of the ruins, and took out the little packet from Shiraishi's satchel. Slowly undoing the dandelion chain sealing the flower-patterned leather wrapping, he found two pieces of honeybread and a small piece of paper that read 'For when you get hungry. With love, Shiraishi ♥'

...Shiraishi was really trusting him too much.

Yukimura probably was supposed to eat them earlier, but Shiraishi couldn't have known Yukimura didn't actually have to eat food.

He was about to take a bite off one of them when a voice called out to him:  
"Hey there beautiful. What's a pretty lady like you doing at this place?"

"I'm a guy, you know?"  
Yukimura turned to look at the source of the voice.

"Wait, you can hear me?!"  
A ghost's image flickered as Yukimura's eyes bore straight through him.

"You would hit on girls when they can't even see you? That's a bit pitiful, don't you think?"  
"Every girl is worth a shot! Besides, how can you see—"

Yukimura changed back to his Angelic form.

"—Oh. That explains.  
I'm Sengoku, by the way. You are?"

"Yukimura."

Sengoku took a look at the honeybread.  
"Did Shiraishi send you?"

"How did you know?"  
"Shiraishi comes here sometimes to eat that same bread as well. It even has the same wrapping."  
"Hmm..."

Yukimura took a bite out of the bread. It was sweet, but not painful on the tongue.  
That a simple slice of bread could have such a homely taste...  
Ah, Shiraishi mentioned an elderly couple baking him bread, didn't he? This must be it.

Sengoku went on to sit next to him.  
"It isn't often that someone visits here, much less a magical being.  
...Does Shiraishi know?"

Yukimura shook his head, mouth still full.

"I see."

Yukimura swallowed.  
"How do you know Shiraishi, anyway?"

"A-Ah, that's... I read the name on the little card once..."  
Sengoku looked away.  
Hmm. So Sengoku was that kind of ghost.

"You mentioned not many magical beings coming here..."  
Another wisp neared the two of them, undoubtedly curious about Yukimura. "Then, what are these little guys up to?"  
He allowed it to float about his wings, as it was undoubtedly marvelled they were solid to it.

"Do you know about All Hallow's Eve?"  
"No?"  
"In about a full moon from now, the barrier between the human world and the plane of souls will be at its weakest. These little guys are all making their own preparations to cross it and be with their families once more, even if it's only for a night."  
"Are you going, too?"

Sengoku closed his eyes.  
"Yeah. There's someone I visit each year on All Hallow's Eve."

"Is that person the reason you can't move on?"  
"...Maybe. I don't know. It's like I've been here forever. But it's also like he'll be there forever. I just...  
...Well, I bet you didn't come here to hear the stories of an old ghost like me."  
"That's right. I wouldn't mind listening more, but I need to find the Pata de Coello. And I know you know where to find it."  
"Why don't you try finding it yourself? I don't like people who just barge in and take whatever they want."

"Sengoku..."  
A ripple of energy made Sengoku's soul waver, and every single wisp stood still, shuddered.

"True, I can find it myself with some effort. But, I'd really like you to help me, as Shiraishi needs it to save a child's life.  
Now, will you lend me hand?"  
Yukimura put on his most courteous smile.

"S-sure, I'll g-guide you."

"Really? Ah, thank you tenfold!"  
Yukimura put his hands together.  
"Well then, let's go."

Yukimura tied the leather around the remnants of the bread, put it in Shiraishi's satchel and took off from the bench.  
There wasn't much space between the trees and the water, but it was just enough to fly.

"Ah, yes!"

And as promised, Sengoku led him across the wetlands, through twigs of twisting trees and across ways with whispering wisps, who were watching, wary whether Yukimura's wings would whisk them away.

They found the fluffy white flower in a small cranny in an old tree.  
It looked even cuter than Yukimura remembered from his books.

"Thank you for your help."  
"You threatened me into doing this and then you say thank you? What even was that wave? It was like it tugged at my very existence...  
What even are you?"  
"...Will you keep this a secret from Shiraishi, if you meet him at All Hallow's Eve?"

Sengoku's eyes widened.  
"Don't tell me you—"

"I'm trying to get better. Don't tell Shiraishi anything about what happened here. He deserves better than to ever know the truth."  
"...I'll keep it. But only if you promise that, if you ever meet a Saeki, tell him I said hi."

"Of course.  
Then..."  
Yukimura cut the stem of the flower, keeping its roots intact, and put it into the designated vial.  
"...I'll be off. Have a nice day, Sengoku."

"...I'll try not to be too spooked."

Yukimura laughed. "Good luck with that."  
And promptly, he took off though the foliage, leaving the enchanted wetlands behind him.

It would take him the rest of the night to get back to Shiraishi's little forest, he estimated, and another bit longer to actually find Shiraishi's house amidst the trees.

________________________________________

 

Fortunately for Yukimura, Shiraishi was doing strange things again. This time, a dark blue smoke rose from the trees, revealing Shiraishi's location.

Yukimura easily landed, a bit more careful for the birds, changed to his human form and knocked on the door.

"I'm coming, just wait one sec—"  
The sound of something crashing, a yelp.

Yukimura stared at the door as he listened to the rummaging of stuff.  
A slightly dishevelled Shiraishi opened the door, and once again their eyes met in surprise.

"Another failed experiment?"  
"No, this one actually succeeded, it just produces a lot of weird smoke by default."

Yukimura let out an amused hum.  
"So there are potions like that."

"You'd be surprised at the weird things that happen when making potions from the book."

Yukimura laughed.  
"Does messing up your clothes count as one of them?"  
And he gestured at his shirt.

"A-Ah, no, I..."  
Shiraishi hastily fixed his clothes.

"You tripped and fell, didn't you?"

Shiraishi sighed. "Maybe."  
How cute.

Shiraishi led him inside.  
"I didn't expect you to be here this soon."

Oh, yeah. Humans don't usually travel this fast.

"I got lucky on my search."  
Yukimura handed Shiraishi the satchel, and Shiraishi briefly confirmed he had everything.

"You even got the Pata de Coello! I'm impressed."

"Why do you need this flower, anyway?"  
Yukimura knew this flower could enhance luck, if prepared in the right way. But he doubted Shiraishi knew what magical ties to make.

"It's a good luck charm. People around this area used to wear the flower around their neck or give it in bouquets to people leaving the village."

Superstitions that overlap with the flower's actual function... How curious.

"You didn't finish the honeybread?"  
Shiraishi sounded almost disappointed.

"I didn't get to finish it. It was very good, though."

"Would you mind accompanying me on my early lunch break? It would be a waste to throw this away."  
"I'd love to."

Yukimura was glad he got to have tea with Shiraishi again.  
The honeybread had gotten a bit old, but it was still plenty edible.  
He was grateful Shiraishi chose a less sweet tea to go with the bread.

"Can you guess the herb I used?"  
"Hmmm... I'd guess Adiona's Rose? It's supposed to be slightly more bitter than Abeona's .. but unless you have both of them in succession, it's hard to tell."  
"You really do know a lot about flowers."

"Well, I've read plenty of books about them."  
Yukimura took a sip from his tea.

"I finished your potion."  
Shiraishi put the vial on the table.

"You changed the necklace?  
Instead of the single vine Yukimura used to keep the vial in place, Shiraishi had braided a small rope from strips of leather.

"I thought this would be more comfortable."  
Shiraishi smiled as Yukimura took the vial from the table. 

"This one will hold out longer. I managed to improve the recipe, and I figured out how to make it shine in the dark. I hope you don't mind that?"

The potion glowed in Yukimura's hand.  
Yukimura could see in the dark, but a little light was never unwelcome.  
"Thank you.  
Will the girl be alright?"

"I'll have the medicine ready in a day. She'll be healthy and hopping within the week."

"I'm glad to hear that."  
"Was it much of a hassle, to get the ingredients?"

Yukimura had to be honest here.  
"No. In fact, I got to see some very beautiful places and some very cute flora."

"Would you mind doing it again?"

"What do you mean?"  
"You see, a friend of mine wants a potion to change his voice, don't ask why, but I also have a paid request for a potion that not only uses some of the same ingredients, but also takes rather long to make."

"So you're prioritising the paid request, but feel bad for leaving your friend hanging longer than necessary because you don't have all ingredients at hand."

"Exactly. Will you do it? Of course, I'll repay you."

"Sure, I don't mind."

Shiraishi smiled. "Thank you. I'll pack another surprise for you, so please look forward to that."

"I will. But let's finish our tea first, shall we?"  
"Of course."

Yukimura didn't want to go in detail on his past, in fact, doing so would be quite disastrous. He did, however, tell about the plants he liked and that he used to live near the sea.

"Then, you'll like the place where you'll find the Proteus Daylily."  
"You're sending me to the beach?"  
"There's a coast with a cavern system a week's travel from here, and amazingly, there's a great variety of flowers growing there. That lily is one of them."  
"Hmmm... So it grows there as well."  
"I didn't expect you to be familiar with it! It's a very diverse flower, so it isn't recorded very well. But there's a simple trick to distinguish—"  
"Look for the flower that doesn't belong there, right?"

Yukimura smiled while Shiraishi stared in awe.

"How did you know?" Shiraishi asked.

"I happened to have one of the few rare books that listed normal coast flora as well as rarer ones. It's one of the perks of living near enough."  
Although he'd never been able to visit himself, lower rank Angels would occasionally take books with them.

"What happened to it?"

"I lost it."  
The full truth hurt a little more.

"I'm sorry to hear that... Ah, would you like another cup of tea? Maybe I'll take a slightly longer break."

"Of course."

After another cup of tea and a surprisingly light-hearted conversation about the parsley obsession of one of Shiraishi's friends, it became time for Yukimura to take his leave.

Yukimura confirmed with Shiraishi he knew all of the herbs on his list, Shiraishi packed the satchel with the necessary stuff for Yukimura, and before he knew it, Yukimura was at the door already.

"It was fun talking to you."  
Yukimura turned around to smile at Shiraishi.

"I'm glad. Will I see you again soon?"  
"I sure hope so, otherwise I'd have been in an accident or something."

Shiraishi laughed.  
"See you soon."

"See you soon."

"Ah, I have a small warning. The cave system tends to suddenly flood every once in a while, but the next time it happens is in a few days so I doubt you'll encounter it.  
Just wanted to tell you to be safe."

"I'll pay attention, thank you. Then,"  
Yukimura walked out of the door and waved, "I'll be off."

Shiraishi smiled.  
"Have a safe trip."

And the door closed.

As Yukimura walked out of sight, changed and took off, he looked forward to what the first item of the list would bring.

________________________________________

 

It turned out the potion for Shiraishi's friend had slightly less common ingredients. It took Yukimura a whole day longer to gather them all.  
He was lucky he not only knew the plants well, but also could recognise them from afar. If his senses hadn't been sharpened due to his fall, he'd have been wandering through grasslands and forestry for days on end.

Small blue flowers, fancy red ones, ordinary green roots.  
If they'd had any kind of magical signature, it would have been a breeze to find them.  
However, even the more magical plant of this time didn't have a consistent signature.

It wasn't called the 'shape-shifting lily' for nothing.

As Yukimura's wings carried him on the wind towards the sea in the east, he started thinking.  
What did Shiraishi need the Daylily for?

He tried to remember the human books he read.  
The flowers themselves should be edible, but other than that...

If Shiraishi had intended to use it for its shape-shifting properties, that would make sense.  
If there had been any easy way to tailor the potion to the magical signature of the separated flower without using magic yourself, that is.

Or maybe it was another of those odd superstitious additions. Humans weren't always as bright, after all.

Before he knew it, the green hills of the forest made way for a bluer hue in the distance.  
The sea.

He used the last bit of green to descend and change, and walked up to the beach on the border of rocks and sea.

With sand under his feet and the sea to his ankles, he made his way to the entrance of one of the cave systems.

"Ah, you probably shouldn't enter there."

Yukimura was approached by a man in red.

"That cave floods every once in a while," the guy said, "so it's dangerous."

"I'm aware. However, I need to find a certain flower in there, so I'm going anyway."

"I can't let someone as pretty as you willingly put his life into danger. I'll guide you to where the flowers grow.  
I'm Saeki, by the way."

He was used to being called pretty by others, but this was much more matter-of-factly than Shiraishi's flirting had been.  
"My name is Yukimura."

It turned out Saeki knew his way around the caves well.

"I prefer the beach over these caves, but someone has to be the one to know them."  
Steadily moving forward from foothold to foothold, Saeki led him through the narrow halls.

"Do you usually guide people?"

"I'm sort of a beach watch, so I try to keep people out of danger. The floor here is quite slippery, and I wouldn't want anyone to trip and hurt themselves here."

"Hmm... Then why didn't you turn me away?"  
"I did, but you didn't listen. If you were going anyway, then I could at least get you in safely.  
Ah, watch your step, this rock is kind of loose."  
"Thank you."

And eventually, the rocks smoothed over, rendering Yukimura able to walk without nearly tripping.

"The flowers are right at the end of this hall. Just follow the same way back, and be sure to leave in time. Well then, have a good day!"

Saeki turned around to leave.

"Wait."

Saeki halted.  
"What is it?"

"You should value Sengoku more. He might be more attached to you than you think."  
"Sure? ...How do you know him anyway?"

Yukimura put a finger to his lips.  
"That's a secret. What do you feel about Sengoku, if I may ask?"

"I like him."  
"Then, everything is good. Be sure to see him on All Hallow's Eve."

"I will. Visit Rokkaku's All Hallow's Eve party if you want," Saeki gestured at where they came from, "we have grilled fish."

"...I'll consider."  
Eating wasn't his passion, but one of the exceptions he made was for that.

"See you around."  
"Perhaps."

Yukimura made his way through the halls, and ended up at a large clearing. Several kinds of flowers adorned the walls, sprung up from the rocky underground.

...He could spare a few moments to admire the beauty of this little oasis.

Blue, orange, small yellow flowers.  
A melodious mingle of magical signatures, sprawled across the cavity like stars on a clear night.

Yukimura closed his eyes, listened closely if there was any signature that didn't belong.

Much to his dismay, he couldn't. Which meant that the Daylily was hiding among the regular flowers.

One by one, he ran his hand over the myriad of petals, until he at last found a white ne m'oubliez pas, a flower that would never grow in a salty environment.

This is it.

He took the flower in his hand, and spontaneously, it started changing colours.

"Shhh," Yukimura said, kneeling down to take it out from between the rocks.

As it changed from slippery seaweed to thorny rose to thistle, Yukimura kept his hold firm, and eventually the flower calmed to a sea-blue lily.

"Good boy."  
He put the flower in its water-filled vial, and started making his way back.

'Just follow the same way back,' Saeki had said.  
Yukimura found himself at a fork in the road.  
Same way back. 

Yukimura took a breath and prayed, no, hoped it was left.

But, as he soon discovered, it wasn't.

The light from Shiraishi's potion guided him through the dark, and the hope of not getting lost too badly moved his feet.

Moving back at this point would only result in him getting more lost.

His hand moved over the damp rocks as his feet made ripples in the slowly rising water.

Water...

A soft trembling made its way to Yukimura's fingertips, and Yukimura halted in his tracks.

Face to face with a wall of water, Yukimura found himself unable to move an inch.

He briefly wondered if Angels could drown.

________________________________________

 

When Yukimura came to again, he was in his Angelic form, and well underwater.  
Apparently, only his human form could drown.

"Gh..."

He struggled against the water to get upright. Trying to brush off the pounding pain in his body, he reorganised his thoughts.

The exit...  
He supposed he could find it by following the currents, if the pain would subside enough to focus.

"Ngh...!"  
Yukimura folded his wings together, arms clutching his chest.

It was clear this shouldn't happen again.

Too much energy was lost in reviving his human form, energy that was needed to keep him going.  
And he could feel it gradually slipping with every breath he took.

He put his hand to the wall and started walking. For now, he'd try to focus on getting out.

His attention drifted away to the satchel.  
He didn't doubt it would hold in the rain, but now that it was submerged...

It was no use worrying. Most items were encased in glass vials, and checking was sure to flood it.

Now that Yukimura was in his Angelic form, Shiraishi's potion seemed to glow brighter than ever. He gripped it tight in his hand, a small comfort against the pain, a bright light.

Eventually, the cave started sloping upwards, and the surface of the water showed itself as a mirror overhead.  
Yukimura hurriedly flew out of the water, into the air, onto the rocks.

He broke into a coughing fit as his breathing shifted from water back to air. Now that breathing water didn't drain him of his precious magical reserves, the pain started to subside to slightly above its usual level.

A wind blew through the rocky pillars. Yukimura sat down on the rocks, wings together, shivering.  
If only he hadn't taken the wrong turn, he thought. 

Saeki's negligence was to blame. Sure, if Yukimura had brought himself to travel as slow as a human, this wouldn't even have been an issue, but you simply can't expect someone to memorize the layout of a system while focusing on not landing flat on his face by tripping.

Yukimura shook out his hair.

There was damage to his pride, his robes clung to his skin, but he'd live.

The satchel, however...

Yukimura held it upside down, and water started pouring out.  
Great.

He leaned back onto the rocks, hoping to dry a bit, but another gust of wind called a wave of shivers over him.

Maybe flying would help.

________________________________________

 

By the time he reached Shiraishi's house, he was hardly drier than he was before.

As his wings were still very heavy, his landing wasn't as smooth as he'd wanted it to be.

After a heavy clattering of wings, he found that his restored human form,too, wasn't exactly as dry as he'd hoped it to be.

Yukimura let out a breath, and walked towards the door.  
A single knock.

"Is it you, Yukimura?"

"Do we not greet each other any more like civilised beings?"  
"...It is you. I had a hunch."

Yukimura could hear laughter from the other side of the door.

In moments, he could hear Shiraishi walking over, opening the door and staring at his wet hair.  
"What happened?"

Yukimura closed his eyes.  
"Rain," he lied.

"Come in. I'll make you some warm tea."

Within a few minutes, Yukimura found himself on the couch, wrapped in a warm blanket with a modest fire crackling nearby.

"I didn't know it was going to rain this badly," Shiraishi called from the kitchen.

"Neither did I," Yukimura called back.

A sweet smell drifted through the room, and before long, Shiraishi came over with a platter with tea.

"You didn't finish the surprise again. I had to throw it away because it was soaked."  
"I forgot..."  
"It's alright, it's alright. I brought you mint tea, by the way."

Yukimura took the tea from Shiraishi's hands.

"Are the items safe?" Yukimura asked.  
"Yeah, their packaging kept it safe. It's a bit odd that the interior of the satchel is wet as well, don't you think?"

Yukimura raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You see, it's protected against rain."  
"...It was a very heavy rain."

"This time, too, you were back very quickly..."  
"I caught a ride."

He didn't like to lie, but right now, that was his only option.

"Yukimura, when looking for the Daylily, did you get caught in the cave flood?"  
Shiraishi looked at him intently, mint tea in his hands.

Instinctively, Yukimura looked away.  
"Why did you need the Daylily, anyway?" he posed instead. "How are you planning to use it?"

"That's...  
How about you answer first?"  
"Besides, barring my own knowing, how do you yourself know about the Daylily?"

Yukimura's eyes pierced Shiraishi's gaze.

"I..."  
Shiraishi closed his eyes.

"You're not just any potioner, are you? Shiraishi?"

"...You're right."  
Shiraishi sighed, opened his eyes.

"I'm a Druid of the Shitenhoji faction. Well, I don't suppose you know us, because we blend in pretty well with the rest of humanity, but..."

That explained a fair few of things.

"I have a question for you, Yukimura."

Yukimura was on edge.

"Yukimura, do you recognise this feather?"  
Shiraishi took a pale turquoise feather from the table.

"That's a pretty feather."  
It was his own. When did it drop?!

"The flock of birds that hangs around my house left for the South over a week ago. And yet I seem to hear the sound of wings every time you leave or come.  
Do you want to tell me something, Yukimura?"

"No."

"You survived drowning, you keep travelling superhumanly quick, you leave with feathers and the sound of wings, and to add to that...  
Your magical signature, although weak, is very tell-tale Holy.  
You're an Angel, aren't you?"

Yukimura, fell silent, sighed.  
"Yes."  
Let's keep it at that.

"Amazing... I never thought I'd meet one! Though, if I may ask, why are you here on Earth? There's been rumours of a war in Heaven... Are you a refugee?"

Yukimura leaned back on the couch, hand hiding his face. The image of hundreds, no, thousands of Angels fleeing from Heaven, forced to live like this, hunted, displaced, invaded his mind. It mocked his former lack of all traces of sympathy.  
He heaved in a breath.

"Sorry," Shiraishi said, "I won't ask."

"Thank you," Yukimura whispered.

"Say... Are you free this weekend? I was thinking of how to repay you, as you've been a great help...  
Do you want to come to Shitenhoji's All Hallow's Eve with me?"

"...But I'm not human."

"It's alright. Shitenhoji itself is really diverse, I'm sure nobody would even bat an eye. Will you come?"

It's not like he had anything better to do.  
"Sure."

"I'm glad... I was worried you'd refuse for a moment."  
"Why would I?"  
"We don't know each other too long, and I kind of forced you to admit your identity..."  
"Do you think I'd even have been here if I didn't like to spend time with you? Don't think I wouldn't have refused."

Shiraishi laughed. "That's good. I wouldn't want to push you into doing anything you wouldn't want."

"And yet you still sent me to that Daylily."  
"Hey, I didn't know you were going to get there so fast. I did warn you, didn't I?"

Yukimura sighed.

"I suppose you did."

"Next time, can we travel together? If you want there to be a next time, of course."

Yukimura smiled.  
"I wouldn't say no to that."

Shiraishi's lips curled upwards. "I'm glad."

________________________________________

 

They promised to meet up at Shiraishi's house on Saturday, and travel by ride together.

It turned out Shiraishi had plenty of stuff to bring to Shitenhoji's main establishment. Little lanterns, filled with a familiar gold liquid. Various pieces of equipment, a few chairs, everything systematically arranged and secured by hay.

"You're telling me you don't have eat at all?"

Yukimura was sitting next to Shiraishi as Shiraishi controlled one of the village's horses, riding in the direction of the setting sun.

"It's slightly more complicated than that, but no, I don't."

"That explains why you forgot to eat... But you can eat, right?"

"Don't suggest I have to throw up or something, you've seen me eat."

Shiraishi laughed.  
"That's right. There's a Shitenhoji delicacy I want you to try, it's called takoyaki."

"Hmm..."  
"Ah, come on, it's delicious. I can vouch for it. One won't hurt?"  
"...Maybe one, then."

Shiraishi laughed. "I hope you'll like it."

"That would be nice.  
By the way, I'd been wondering about this, how do you tune the magical signatures of your ingredients to make working potions, if you can't harness magic yourself?"

Shiraishi held up his bandaged arm. "I can't answer that. I hope you don't mind that too much."

"It can't be helped, huh. Guess we both have things to not tell each other."  
That Shiraishi had figured out he was an Angel was bad enough. If Shiraishi were to discover Angels were supposed to have glowing white feathers, not dull turquoise ones...

The feeling of passing through a magical barrier distracted him from his tangent of thought.

"Shiraishi?"  
"Welcome to Shitenhoji. Don't worry, the barrier is just to keep ill-spirited people out."

A humble lot of houses scattered themselves among mighty trees, connected by suspended roads and cleared pathways through branches.  
Half a circle they formed, the other half was a spacious clearing with ropes for lanterns, tables to eat at and a fire, imbued with a complex and powerful mixture of Earth signatures.

"Shiraishi, good to see you again."  
A group of greetings interrupted their preparations for the party to welcome Shiraishi.

"Shiraishi!"  
A small and loud tempest came barging in from the clearing and latched itself onto Shiraishi's body.  
"I missed you!"

"Kin-chan!"  
Shiraishi allowed the redhead to cling to him a few seconds longer, before grabbing his shirt and pulling him away.  
"Kin-chan, behave yourself."

"No! I'm not letting go!"  
"I know we haven't seen each other in months, but we have a guest—"  
"Don't care!"

Shiraishi sighed. "It can't be helped, huh..."  
His tone of voice darkened as he took the end of his bandage in his fingers, dangling it in the redhead's face.  
"Kin-chan, you want to die?"

A shiver went up the boy's spine, and he jumped to the ground.  
"Anything but the poison arm..."

His eyes fell on Yukimura.  
"Who is this pretty sis? Or bro?"

"I'm still a guy—"

"Really?!" Shiraishi exclaimed. "I didn't know!"

Shiraishi's friends laughed, Yukimura pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's a joke, it's a joke."  
"I know, it's just a bit in bad taste."  
"I won't do it again, okay?"

"I'm not saying you can't make jokes, but to be honest, you wouldn't believe how many people tried to pick me up, thinking I was a girl. It gets old."

Shiraishi laughed. "Well, it's because you're beautiful, Yukimura."

"I can't deny that ♥, even though you're not my type."  
"Are you cheating on me?!"  
"Geez, Yuu kun, you really are too much of the jealous type~ You know I still love you the most~"

Yukimura walked closer to the clearing, his eyes on the magical fire.  
"What is this fire?"

"Ah, it's a tradition. You see, this fire Gin makes holds that barrier in place, and it has purifying propert—"

Yukimura could feel his wings slip out.  
His true form was gently pulled out by the fire, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Shiraishi gasped.

A silence fell across Shitenhoji.

"Shiraishi..."  
A blond haired guy dashed over to Shiraishi, flinging one of his arms over Shiraishi's neck, grinned.  
"...When?"

In no time, Shiraishi's friends were all over him.

"You didn't tell me you got married!"  
"You have my blessings."  
"This is just like that one myth, isn't it?"  
"Hey, hey, is this person your destined swan?"  
"It's destined one, Kin-chan, not destined swan."

Yukimura chuckled at the display.  
"I'm not Shiraishi's lover. We've known each other for barely two weeks, and he told me this is just a token of gratitude."

The blond haired guy sighed.  
"Aww. And here I was hoping Shiraishi'd finally get someone to settle down with. Right, Shiraishi?"

"......."  
"Hey, Earth to Shiraishi? Hello?"

"Shiraishi," Yukimura said, stretching his wings a bit, "don't you know it's rather rude to stare?"

"A-Ah, I just... This is the first time I've seen you like this... I was a bit captivated."

Yukimura let out an amused hum.

"Well, I mean, you usually only see Angels in picture books, but you seem to surpass every single drawing."

"Is that so."

"It is! Granted, the little books about you Shitenhoji has are from very long ago, but..."

The rest of Shitenhoji helped unload Shiraishi's stuff, put the vials inside the lanterns, the other stuff where it needed to be.

"How long ago?"  
"A few thousand years ago? It seems we at Shitenhoji have a bit of history with your kind. Ah, by the way..."

Shiraishi held up a big, orange pumpkin.  
"Will you carve a pumpkin lantern as well? It brings good luck."

"Sure."

They took place on one of the benches, and Shiraishi passed him a knife.

"Ah, does it have to be a face?"  
"Not at all. Make what you want."

Yukimura settled on something flowery, and as he let the knife shape the patterns, he listened to Shiraishi's stories. 

It seemed many supernatural beings and magically potent humans occasionally visited Shitenhoji, and occasionally, some of them would stay.  
Chitose, their local divinator, was one of them.  
His mind tended to wander, but his predictions were eerily accurate.

Yuuji and Zaizen were shape-shifters, for example, and Koharu was one of the fae.

"You're good at this," Shiraishi interrupted himself.

"Well, of course. I used to paint, after all."  
He carved the silhouette of a petal, and a strangely familiar melody came to his ears from somewhere near the clearing.

"It's an old folk song, one you won't hear outside of Shitenhoji."

Though heavily accented, Yukimura heard lyrics, lyrics in his Angelic tongue.

"I know it…"  
Yukimura sang along with the original lyrics, softly as to not disturb the others, while finishing his carvework.

Shiraishi listened intently until the song ended.  
"It's weird, isn't it? That you know one of Shitenhoji's songs."

Yukimura put the finished pumpkin on the table.

"No, it's weird that you know one of the songs of the Angels."  
Yukimura put his pumpkin in the circle with the others, another irregularity added to the incoherent bunch.

"Is this okay this way?"  
"It's more than okay. It's perfect."

Another song came up.  
"Do you know this song as well?"

"I think so."

"Yukimura," Shiraishi bowed slightly, held out his hand, "will you dance with me?"

"I don't know if I'd get the steps right. I have no idea how this song changed over the millennia..."  
"Don't worry, I'll lead."

"Mmmh..."

"Are you worried about making mistakes?"  
"A little."  
"Look over there."

Shiraishi pointed to the fast blond and a dark-haired guy, in a rather awkward hold and with messy steps, but laughing nonetheless. At least the blond one was, the dark one was scowling insincerely.

"Don't think about making mistakes or not," Shiraishi whispered. "Just have fun."

Yukimura took Shiraishi's hand, and promptly pulled them both in the right hold.  
"Put your hand a little lower, it's easier on my wings."

Shiraishi's warm fingers descended a little, to right beneath his wings.  
"Like this?"

His hold was firm, but surprisingly gentle.

"Yes."

Shiraishi tentatively put his foot forward, and Yukimura followed.  
Fortunately, his feet remembered the basic steps, but when the dance deviated from his memory, he heard Shiraishi's whisper.

"Natural turn."

He mouthed the steps for him, softy, gently.  
Shiraishi's movements were close to the basics, easy to follow.

Yukimura stepped out slightly more widely, moved Shiraishi's centre of gravity with his own.  
Following had never been his favourite part. He appreciated Shiraishi's consideration, but he had to know he wasn't a simple beginner.

"Who was the one that said to 'just have fun'?"

Shiraishi matched his steps, and his movements became more dynamic, more fluid.

"I suppose that was me."

A hop, a step out. Yukimura flared his wings, pulled Shiraishi into a turn.  
Shiraishi did his best to catch up to Yukimura's nimble feet, nearly found himself being pulled along.  
Yukimura bent his wing downward, and Shiraishi moved him into a dip.

Yukimura urged Shiraishi out of his basics with feather-light steps, and Shiraishi twirled Yukimura back to Earth in reclaiming his lead, until the music became more intense and Shiraishi's lead seamlessly complemented Yukimura's follow.  
Yukimura arched his back as they spun, steps stronger, deeper like the timbre of the tune.

It was as if he was flying.

Arm under his waist, Shiraishi stepped back, and Yukimura felt himself be raised barely off the floor, felt soft lips on his collarbone.

"Is this also part of the dance...?"

Shiraishi smiled, whispered. "If you want it to be."

Yukimura spun down, eyes locked with Shiraishi.  
"Be careful about adding things that shouldn't be."

A powerful step to the side from Yukimura.

"Though you don't seem to care for that."  
Shiraishi's grip solidified.

"I know how far I can go."  
Yukimura beat his wings, a jump and he was floating in Shiraishi's hold. His forehead touched Shiraishi's.  
"Do you?"

Shiraishi held him in the air, perfectly still. One beat, two beats, a breath.  
"That's not for me to judge."

"Don't think I won't fly away."  
Yukimura held his wings, and Shiraishi easily caught him. One step, two steps, a turn.  
He pulled Shiraishi closer, let the flow of the dance carry his feathers.

"Don't think I wouldn't let you."

As the music came to a halt, the two naturally came to a stop, caught their breaths.

Shitenhoji was silent, before breaking out in applause.  
"Bravo, bravo!"  
"I didn't know you could dance like that, Shiraishi!"  
"You're awesome, Angel-bro!"

"Huh?"

Yukimura and Shiraishi slid out of their hold, eyes still locked.

"You're pretty good," Yukimura said.

"To be honest, I hardly knew I could even dance like that."  
"Were your previous partners that bad?"  
"What do you mean?"

Yukimura smiled, closed his eyes.  
"You were holding back until I took initiative. If I hadn't, I think we'd have been stuck in that basic step forever."

"You might just be right."  
Shiraishi laughed.

"Shiraishi, can I speak to you for a bit?"  
A tall guy with frizzy hair approached Shiraishi, his smile broad but his gaze serious.

"Ah, sorry, Yukimura. I'll be right back."

________________________________________

 

"What's it, Chitose?"

"I want to talk to you. It's about Yukimura."

Chitose tossed him an apple, with Yukimura's and Shiraishi's names carved in.

"You—"

"I sort of went to foretell your futures while you were distracted."  
Chitose grinned.

"Hey! Don't do that behind our backs!"  
Shiraishi folded his arms. The apple in Shiraishi's hand was still hot from the fire.  
Chitose would light a smaller fire from the bonfire in the clearing, let its flames lick the apple, and would foretell the future by the patterns that formed.

Yukimura's name was still white, but its edges were jet black. Now that he looked at it, both the back and front of Yukimura's half were stained in darkness.

"Listen. You have to take good care of Yukimura, that's all I can say. Promise you'll protect him?"

"He doesn't look like the type that has to be protected."  
He looked over at Yukimura, poking a takoyaki ball, blowing softly on it as he took a bite.

"He isn't, he absolutely isn't," Chitose said, "which is exactly why you must."  
Chitose was talking in riddles, again.

"There's no way I wouldn't. He's my friend, after all. 

Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

"No matter what darkness might stain him?"  
"Yeah."  
"Even if he becomes unrecognisable from who he was before?"  
"Chitose, you're scaring me." 

"Will you?" 

Shiraishi smiled.  
He wasn't about to let Yukimura fall into darkness, no matter what the future might bring.  
He'd be there for him. For sure.

"Of course."

**Author's Note:**

> Also, please take a look at the accompanying art I drew!  
> https://78.media.tumblr.com/331af41a30252ef264bfb5ab975fbc3c/tumblr_oyqtz71imh1tqj6sjo1_1280.png


End file.
